Sale shock leaders Northampton to maintain Premiership play-off hopes

Sale's Marc Jones is confronted by Northampton's Courtney Lawes during the Premiership match at A J Bell Stadium. Photograph: David Jones/Getty Images

Sale's director of rugby, Steve Diamond, has refused to set any lofty ambitions for his team after a magnificent defensive effort resulted in them beating the Premiership leaders, Northampton. Sale struggled throughout last season, when they found themselves in a tight relegation battle, but Saturday's 19-6 victory means a top-four finish is still on the cards this term.

Northampton were restricted to two penalties from Will Hooley, but Sale showed a lot of attacking enterprise in the first half, with tries from Mark Cueto, Marc Jones and Tom Brady – and two conversions by Danny Cipriani – sealing the win.

However, Diamond believes they have to be realistic, and said: "Does the win give us more ambition? No, not really. This time last year we were scrapping it out for our lives and, this year, we're just glad to be in mid-table.

"Do I think top four is achievable? I'm not being coy, but we see how it is every week and try to challenge the lads to get up for it. The one thing we have got, and what helped us last year, is togetherness. We went through it last year and we had to scrap it out, and it's served us well – and in tight games like today you need that resolve."

Diamond hailed his team's resolve after the Sharks kept Saints tryless throughout the match. He said: "In the first half, we played reasonably well against the wind and in the second half we didn't get out of our own half.

"[We had] the resolve in defence to counter that and get away with the win, so we're delighted.

"We've had a rest, which is a good thing. Their internationals were tired and they chose to pick them, and that's their choice, and we know that we were the fitter team."

Northampton's director of rugby, Jim Mallinder, refused to blame tiredness for the result. He said: "It was a poor performance. In the first half, we never really got off the coach. Sale scored some good tries and took their opportunities.

"In the second half, we improved, but we were always up against it because we knew we had to score tries. We looked like a side who didn't have any cohesiveness out there, because we haven't all played together for eight weeks.

"I don't think it is fitness because our lads are fit. We just couldn't string anything together, and it was more teamwork today. We need time to gel a little bit and we need to spend more time together. The positive for us is that we will get better.

"It's difficult to get on that front foot, and we never did. Our forwards worked hard, but credit to Sale because they defended for their lives.

"We've got some important games coming up now. We've lost this game, but we're not out. We're still in a very strong position and it's down to us. We've just got to put that behind us."

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